Better Than Revenge
by cheerbabeexoxo
Summary: Miroku is a conman who uses his charm and good looks to con women out of small fortunes, until three of his latest victims decide to con him back. MirSan. (AU).
1. Chapter 1: Should Have Known

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter One: I Should Have Known**

**_Disclaimer: I in no way own or claim ownership of Inuyasha. It is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan. Ladies vs Ricky Bahl is the property of Yash Raj Films. This is merely a fanwork, from which I am profiting in no way other than my own enjoyment._**

**Summary: Miroku is a conman who uses his charm to con women out of small fortunes, until three of his latest victims decide to con him back.**

**_A/N: _**_This fanfiction is loosely based on the Hindi film _Ladies vs Ricky Bahl_, which in turn is based on _John Tucker Must Die_._

The sounds of a string quartet trilled under the chatter of the diners. The smell of steak frites and butternut squash soufflé wafted on the air, the flickering candlelight illuminating the face of the lovely, dark-haired girl perched on the edge of the banquette.

"Koharu, my love, here's to three weeks together. The best of my life." The handsome, violet-eyed young man seated across from her raised his champagne flute in a toast, and Koharu's cheeks nearly matched her pink crêpe de Chine dress in colour.

"I love you, Naoki," she murmured, clinking her glass against his. She took a sip of the champagne and winced, feeling much younger than her twenty years. She was not a fan of Dom Pérignon, or any type of alcohol for that matter, and it made her feel childish.

After nervously mashing her blueberry trifle with the back of her fork, the waiter appeared with the bill, which she promptly paid with her black AmEx, and the couple proceeded to her white Porsche Cayenne.

"Naoki?" Koharu whispered in a timid voice as they pulled out of the car park.

"Yes?" he asked, briefly looking up from his BlackBerry screen.

"T-Tonight I wanted to stay over at your place."

Naoki locked his phone, ensuring the light from his mobile phone screen wouldn't show the small smirk that slowly began to spread across his face. _I've got her right where I want her._

"Wouldn't your father be worried?" he tried his best to sound concerned.

"Mummy and Daddy are at a shareholders' conference in Tokyo. They won't be back til Sunday. I don't know if I can stand to be alone for so long."

She batted her heavily-mascaraed eyelashes. Sure, two days wasn't _that _long, but she needed to seal the deal with her boyfriend before it was too late.

"Alright," Naoki sighed, as if it were the exact opposite of what he wanted. "Take this exit and make a right."

They pulled into the car park of a seedy-looking low rise building, Koharu clutching her white Chanel purse to her body.

"You take the term 'clutch' quite literally," Naoki stifled a laugh.

"Well, maybe if you didn't live in _Kamagasaki_, I wouldn't have to," Koharu retorted.

Naoki held the heavy metal door open and lead her up three flights of stairs to a dark hallway with concrete walls and ripped carpeting on the floor, before stopping in front of a grey door marked 308 and rifling through his pocket for a key.

Turning it in the lock, he opened the door to a clean, but tiny and sparsely decorated studio apartment. The walls were white, the floors were linoleum, and a few unmarked boxes sat in the corner.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" he declared, before lifting Koharu bridal style and laying her down on the white duvet.

A blush rose to her porcelain skin as she pulled him onto the bed beside her.

"You know, two days is an awfully long time. How could we ever pass the time?" he asked, attempting to feign innocence, but in reality he was fighting against every fibre of his being to not caress every curve of her body and fill every empty space.

"Well, I've got some ideas." Koharu grinned lasciviously.

XxXxXxX

"Good morning, sunshine!" Koharu beamed as she leaned over the stove, spatula in hand, cooking what smelled like bacon. A tall stack of chocolate chip pancakes sat on a paper plate on the last bit of unoccupied space on the card table.

"Koharu, what is all this?" Naoki rubbed his eyes, still groggy.

It was Sunday morning, and they had spent the last two days holed up in the apartment, eating takeaway in bed and passing their time between the sheets. For such a sweet, virginal girl, she sure did have a lot of stamina!

"I made you breakfast. And then I thought we could spend the day together. Maybe go to the park, feed the ducks?"

She smiled sweetly, hoisting herself up on the counter, and he couldn't help but admire how the oversized white t-shirt clung to all the right places on her compact, petite frame.

"Actually, Koharu, I have somewhere I'd like to take you." He grabbed a plate and knife and fork out of the cupboard and took a seat at the card table, dousing the pancakes in imitation-syrup. "What do you think about Edo period architecture?"

XxXxXxX

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Koharu marvelled at the size and grandeur of the house. Although growing up wealthy she was accustomed to mansions, even she was impressed.

The walls were cracked and seemed to have been scorched by a fire, but there was no denying that the house was spectacular.

"The gardens out back are magnificent as well," Naoki added.

"How did you ever find such a place?"

"I grew up here." There was a hint of wistfulness in his voice. "But squatters moved in, and my father never paid the property taxes, so there's no way I'll ever be able to restore it to its former glory."

A heavyset old man in blue hakama stepped out the front door, proceeding towards the beat up blue Civic parked on the lawn.

"You freeloader! Buy your own home!" Koharu shouted, flinging a fistful of gravel at the car. The old man glared at her in his rearview mirror. "My father is going to get you your house back, Naoki. That I can promise you."

XxXxXxX

"Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Umeda." Naoki bowed his head respectfully at the balding, middle-aged man seated before him.

"Well, anybody that makes my little girl so happy is worth postponing an investor's luncheon."

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, sir." Violet eyes locked with brown. "I know we've only dated for a few weeks, but I wanted to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage. There's only one problem."

"And what would that be, son?"

"You see, I don't exactly live in the best area. I fear for Koharu's safety whenever she comes to visit me. A girl like your daughter doesn't belong in such a place..."

"I'm listening."

"I want to carry her over the threshold into my ancestral home. A stately manor. The only problems are the squatters and the years of unpaid property taxes. I'm ill equipped to deal with either at the moment. And that is why I came, seeking a cash loan."

"Unpaid property taxes? How much are we talking here?"

"About forty-nine million yen."

"I only have a tenth of that on hand, but I would do anything for my little girl." Mr. Umeda arose from the high back chair, briefly exiting the room before returning with a silver briefcase.

"Think of this as her dowry," he explained, opening the briefcase to display the stacks of crisp ten thousand yen notes. "And please promise me that this isn't a shotgun wedding."

"I can assure you that Koharu is not pregnant," Naoki said with certainty.

Mr. Umeda stood abruptly. "Best of luck with the house. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a flight to Dubai to catch."

XxXxXxX

A violet-eyed young man, about twenty-five years old, emerged from the men's room of Shinjuku station, immaculately dressed in a well-tailored Armani suit.

He had spent the last four weeks "slumming it" in skinny jeans and wife beaters (which he'd promptly abandoned in the men's restroom), living in a rundown apartment complex, and playing the role of that sentimental sap, Naoki; but it had all been worth it.

He clutched a silver briefcase. Five million yen. Not his best haul, but decent for the minimal effort he'd put into the guise. Not to mention he'd bedded an attractive virgin and a few of her friends, and Koharu had been a good meal ticket.

"Miroku, you've done it again," he said to himself as he exited the train station.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ _Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of my story! I'm sorry that there wasn't very much action in this chapter, and I'm sure that the whole "Naoki" concept was hella confusing. I will try to have the second chapter up by next weekend, if my coursework permits, but in the meantime, reviews are much appreciated._


	2. Chapter 2: Man of a Thousand Faces

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter Two: Man of a Thousand Faces**

**_A/N: _**_I came home from school for the weekend, and my friend and I were supposed to do something, but she bailed, so I was able to tap out another chapter. Enjoy!_

"Miss Higurashi, there's a call for you on line one."

The smartly-dressed woman tucked a strand of inky-black hair behind her ear, holding the receiver with a manicured hand.

"Hello? Kagome Higurashi speaking," she spoke pleasantly into the phone, doodling love hearts with her boyfriend's name on the legal pad on her desk.

"What the hell are you doing answering the phone?!" the gruff voice on the other end barked. "You're supposed to be typing up that proposal that my brother's so hell bent on getting."

"Gee, it's nice to talk to you, too, Inuyasha." Her boss-and boyfriend-was not one for making pleasantries. "I'll put you on speaker. That way I can multi-task." With a long, red fingernail, she poked at the button. "Better?"

"Feh...look, I need you to make a business transaction for me. A Hiroshige woodcut print just went on the market for 200 million yen. The seller's name is Kaoru Kanagawa. See him and make an offer. It's crucial we get that painting in the gallery."

"Okey-dokey. Anyway, I better get back to typing up that proposal. I love you. Bye!" Kagome ended the call before looking up to see the janitor hovering in the doorway.

"Hi." She swivelled on her chair to face the man standing in the doorway. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"You needn't lift a finger, miss. I'm here to help _you_." He flashed her a megawatt smile, a flirtatious twinkle in this violet eyes. "I'm emptying all the bins on this floor." He reached for the wastepaper basket adjacent to the desk, before emptying its contents into his cart.

"T-Thank you...Ken?"

"You have a nice day, miss."

"You too."

He wheeled his cart through the hallway, thinking of the raven-haired beauty he'd just encountered. Her features were striking, with her alabaster skin and gunmetal grey eyes, but more important was the phone call he'd overheard. He pushed the car up against the wall, making sure the coast was clear before he ducked into an empty stairwell.

The cellular reception was horrible as he held the BlackBerry up to his ear.

"Welcome to the Taisho Industries automated voice messaging system. Say the name of the person you'd like to reach," the robotic voice proclaimed.

"Kagome Higurashi.

* * *

"No, Ayame. I would never even dream of looking at your boyfriend like that. I'm in a relationship, too, y'know."

Kagome was simultaneously holding a conversation with her friend, filing her nails, and watching an episode of _Last Cinderella_.

"No. I got them at the big sale at Juicy last year, half off. They're so comfy! You should get a pair. Anyway, someone's calling on the other line. I've gotta let you go. Text me later, though." She switched lines, pausing the drama playing on the white iMac screen. _Unknown number, _the caller ID read.

"Hello? Kagome Higurashi speaking."

"Miss Higurashi! My boss has heard that your boss is seeking the Hiroshige print? Sagami River?"

The voice on the other end sounded familiar, but she wasn't sure why.

"I'm Satoshi Watanabe, Mr. Kanagawa's assistant? I'm calling to ask if you'd like to arrange a time and place to see the work and make a transaction."

"I could do tomorrow at three at Mori Tower if that works for you?" Kagome asked, scrolling through Reminders on her iPhone.

"Perfect! I'll see you there! Bring a 10 million yen advance, and it's yours." The line went dead, and Kagome placed the handset back on the hook.

* * *

"Hachi! You were good at art in middle school, right?"

The portly tanuki blinked. He didn't like that look. A look like that meant a favour was needed.

"I'm not going to let you bully me into doing your dirty work again, Miroku."

"I need a replica of Hiroshige's Sagami River for tomorrow afternoon," the con artist said, completely ignoring his friend.

"And what's in it for me?" the tanuki asked, crossing his arms.

"The satisfaction of helping a cherished friend? And..." He made a fist, giving his friend an intimidating look. "Do you remember what happened the last time you refused to do me a favour?"

"O-Okay...I'll get on it!" The tanuki scurried away like a dog with its tail between its legs. _What a coward! I don't even hit that hard!_

* * *

The autumn air was crisp outside, and Kagome shivered in her Burberry trench coat as she stood in the shadow of Roppongi Hills' tallest tower. It was five after three. _Where was this Satoshi guy?_

A tall man in ripped jeans, a plaid button-down, and a tuque approached her, his thick-framed Rayban glasses obscuring his indigo eyes. He carried a manila envelope tucked underneath his arm.

"Miss Higurashi? I'm Satoshi Watanabe. It's a pleasure to meet you. Shall we get out of the cold?"

They stepped through the revolving doors and into the lobby, taking a seat on a bench situated across from the lift.

"The advance is in this duffel bag." She crossed her Frye boot-clad ankles and gestured towards the black checkered bag at her feet.

He handed her the manila envelope, and she gently opened it to look at the beautiful woodblock print depicting people on rafts overlooked by Mt. Fuji. She squinted, carefully eyeing the ink. _Was it just her imagination, or did it still smell fresh?_

Deciding it _was_ just her imagination, she handed the duffle bag over.

"Do you think I could get an invoice?" she asked.

"I can email it to you this evening." Satoshi smiled as he slung the bag over his shoulder. _Too easy. _

* * *

"Who the fuck is Satoshi Watanabe?!" Inuyasha pounded his fist on his desk. Kagome's lip quivered as if she was about to cry. She had just fucked up royally.

"I told you, he's Kaoru Kanagawa's assistant.

"Well, then explain to me why Kanagawa called me this morning to tell me that the print has been sold to a gallery in fucking Auckland of all places! And explain to me what happened to the 10 million yen advance you were supposed to give to him!"

"I-I...I gave it to his assistant, Mr. Watanabe. Here's the print." Kagome retrieved the envelope from her handbag, pulling the print gently from inside.

"Are you fucking stupid? This is a fake. The ink is still fresh!" His face was red with anger, and he was encroaching on Kagome's personal space so much that she was on the verge of tears.

"Was this what you wanted? Is the only reason you're with me because you wanted to take me and my brother to the cleaners?!"

Tears began to form in the corners of Kagome's eyes. The story of the Taisho Industries employee who had embezzled her employer _and _lover had become front page news in the last few days.

Throngs of reporters waited outside the high rise building, in hopes of an interview, but every day upon arriving or departing from work, she'd managed to slip past without a word.

But she wasn't an embezzler. She loved her job and her boyfriend. She wanted nothing more than to make him happy both professionally and personally, so the accusations hurt.

"You're done. I don't want you in my life. I don't want you in my company. Get out."

* * *

Her tears temporarily blinding her, Kagome was incapable of slipping past the reporters. A microphone was thrusted in her face.

"What led you to con your employer out of such a vast sum of money?" the reporter at the other end of the mic asked.

"Is it true that the man you gave the money to at Mori Tower is your lover and you're planning to flee to Okinawa and live off the vast sums of money you've tricked people out of?" another inquired.

"I'd never see that man before in my life," Kagome defended herself against the accusations, even though she was sure she _had _seen him. "I didn't con my employer. He did!" She jerked away from the camera and sprinted towards a waiting cab.

She felt like a fool to be duped that easily.

* * *

Kagome sat in her bed in her favourite terrycloth tracksuit, watching the news report for what felt like the thousandth time. She looked a mess on screen, her mascara giving her the appearance of a tired panda bear.

But for the first time, she noticed something about the Mori Tower security cam footage. Satoshi certainly resembled the janitor who was emptying the bins on her floor. Putting two and two together, she realised something: the janitor had been lingering in the doorway, right at the time of her phone conversation, and was nowhere to be found when she left for her lunch break.

Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball" trilled from Kagome's iPhone, announcing a call. It wasn't a number she recognised. It was an Osaka area code, and she knew nobody in Osaka.

"Hello?" she muttered into the handset.

"OMG! He's fucked you over too!" a girl's voice on the other end of the phone spoke rapidly.

"Join the club!" another voice chimed in.

"Umm...who is this?" Kagome asked nervously. She looked around the room.

"I'm Koharu, and I, too, was taken for a fool by that bloody scoundrel."

"I'm Shima, and he had me too!"

"We saw him on the evening news and we instantly recognised him!" Koharu recalled.

"And you decided to call me because?"

"Because it's about time that jerkoff paid for what he did to us!" Shima exclaimed. "You got off easy. He just took your money."

"But he broke _our _hearts," Koharu finished. "We thought we would take the train to Tokyo and maybe we could meet up and collaborate. Like maybe tomorrow evening? At Nobu?"

Kagome hesitated before answering, but then she realised that this whole scam had costed her not only her career, but her relationship.

"Let's do it!" she answered enthusiastically.

* * *

Two girls sat in the dim light of the restaurant. One a petite, black-haired girl dressed to the nines, with a cherry blossom-printed Louis Vuitton on her lap, and another, taller girl, with long ebony hair, effortlessly beautiful in jeans and a t-shirt.

High heels clicked across the floor as the third person arrived. Her long, shapely legs were on display, thanks to her green peplum skirt and patent leather heels. Her raven hair cascaded over her shoulders.

"Kagome?" the shorter girl looked up from her text messaging.

"In the flesh," the long-legged woman replied, before taking a seat.

A waiter appeared to take their orders and disappeared to the kitchen, returning with a bottle of sake.

"None for me," Koharu said to nobody in particular, wrinkling her nose at the alcoholic beverage. "Too many bad memories."

Kagome filled her own cup and Shima's, before turning to Koharu.

"So what's your story?" she asked, before downing the sake like a shot of Patrón.

"'Naoki' and I met at the BAPE store while he was working. I thought he was really cute, so we exchanged phone numbers, and we started dating. He told me that some squatters were living in his house and that he couldn't afford the property taxes," Koharu explained as she took a bite of her edamame. "So we managed to convince my father to give him the money to pay the taxes, but he took off with 4.9 million yen."

"Oh, honey..." Kagome put her hand on Koharu's shoulder.

"He was my first everything." Koharu's eyes got glossy, as if she were about to cry.

"And you, Shima?" Kagome asked.

"I met 'Shin' on a bus ride back to Kyoto. He sat down next to me and told me that he was stuck in Japan. That he couldn't return home to his family in the U.K. because he'd ran out of money. He asked me if I could lend him some, and that he'd Western Union what he'd owed when he got back home. So I took him to the cashpoint and got him the money."

The table was silent for a beat.

"I can't believe we were all so naïve," Koharu sighed. "And some poor girl is probably falling for his lines right now."

"But we'll make sure it never happens to another girl again!" Kagome had a look of sheer determination in her eyes. She reached into her leather handbag, producing a spiral-bound notebook.

"What did you have in mind?" Shima asked, craning her neck to see what Kagome had scrawled on the lined paper.

"_We_ are going to con _him_," Kagome answered, flipping the page. She pointed to a diagram scribbled messily in pen.

"We are going to _find _him, seduce him, and take him for everything he's worth. With a little help of course."

"A little help?" Koharu looked confused.

"We are going to find him, wherever he is, and hire an actress to swindle him out of everything he took from us. We are going to take his heart and crush it! Take his money and spend it on cute shoes and cosmetics."

"Well, I'm pretty good at finding people who don't want to be found. I'm a grade-A Facebook creep," Shima announced proudly.

"Great! You do that, Koharu can look into lodgings and airfare, and I'll find our girl."

* * *

_**A/N: **__Thank you for reading! I'll try to have the next chapter up soon, but it's awfully hard to find time in uni. I promise you that Sango appears in the next chapter! In the meantime, reviews are very much appreciated._


	3. Chapter 3: Only You, Sango

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter 3: Only You, Sango**

**_A/N:_**_ Thank you, all you lovely people, for the reviews. Somehow, I was lucky enough to get this chapter completed much earlier than I anticipated, so enjoy!_

"Hey, Kagome? Thanks for letting us stay at your place while we sort this all out," Shima said gratefully as the trio stepped through the doors of a high-end department store in Ginza. "I'm really liking Tokyo.

"Don't mention it, Shima!" Kagome tried to brush it off. "Maybe after this is all over, you two can come up and visit. And _I've _always wanted to go shopping in Umeda," she added, looking directly at Koharu.

The three girls navigated the store, stopping at the Chanel makeup counter. There was a promotion going on, and models in tweed blazers and pearls flashed red-lipsticked smiles at the customers. A makeup artist led Shima away to perform a demo on her cosmetic-free visage.

"Which lipstick are you wearing?" Kagome asked one of the models, a slim but curvy brunette. Her skin was sun-kissed and her long legs were muscular like those of a kickboxing champion.

The model stopped to think before a salesgirl interjected.

"She's only a promotional model. She probably has no idea."

"Rouge Allure Velvet. Number 38, I think. I saw it on the tube during hair and makeup this morning," the model replied, completely disregarding the salesgirl. "But if you want to save 3000 yen, Maybelline ha-"

"Sango, a word?" A balding man in a black turtleneck beckoned, and the model obeyed.

"Yes, Mr. Sakamoto?"

"You were hired for this event by Takashimaya to socialize with customers and promote the products. _Not_ refer our customers to drugstore brands. You say you're an actress right? Don't let that degree in Theatre Arts go to waste. _Act _how we pay you to act!"

"Yes, Mr. Sakamoto," she sighed and retreated back to her place on the sales floor.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you have a degree in Theatre Arts."

Sango looked up. It was the same girl who had earlier inquired about the lipstick.

"I do, but it's currently gathering dust as I work myself into an early death with these promotional modelling gigs," she quipped.

"I'm Kagome by the way," Lipstick Girl extended a manicured hand.

"Sango." What did this girl want? A phone number? A date? Sango plastered on a brilliant smile, to mask how thorough and utterly freaked out she was.

"Do you have a business card? I need an actress for a new project I'm working on."

"Oh!" Sango's brown eyes lit up. "My lunch break is in half an hour. Meet me and the WacDonalds down the street and we can talk business," she whispered.

* * *

"I found him!" Shima exclaimed, proudly holding up the screen of her iPhone 5c. "Kai Aoyama. Works at Palacio del Agua Resort in Ishigaki, Okinawa. Relationship status: 'It's complicated.' Oh, I bet it is! Womanizer! Anyway, his last status update was 45 minutes ago, so we can be _sure _he's still using this identity."

"Good job, Shima! If Joseph Kony had a Facebook account, you would have found him _waaay _before 2012." Kagome smiled.

She looked at the image on the phone screen. The man in the picture was tanned, with chiselled abs and his black hair tied in a short ponytail at the nape of his neck, but the violet eyes and the arrogant smile made it clear that it was definitely _him. _The scoundrel that had ripped them all off.

"My daddy has a villa in Ishigaki. Should I book our flights? I have an app for it?" Koharu clasped her hands together, trying to contain her excitement.

"Can somebody please explain to me what's going on and how I fit into this?" Sango finally looked up from her chicken nuggets for the first time. "My break ends in fifteen minutes, and I still have to touch up my makeup."

"See this man?" Kagome took the phone from Shima and held up the picture. Sango could feel her face get warm and thanked her lucky stars that she was wearing full-coverage foundation. "He's taken our money, taken our hearts and crushed them in the palm of his hand. He's probably done it to hundreds of girls. But we won't let him go unpunished.

"And how, pray tell, do _I _fit into this? I would never be so stupid as to fall for a guy like _that._"

"Hey!" Koharu piped up, nearly choking on her Diet Coke. "Don't be so quick to judge. He's a very good liar."

Kagome swallowed her mouthful of apple pie before continuing.

"How you fit in, Sango, is that _you're _gonna take him for a ride." Sango grimaced. "Have him invest in a pyramid scheme or something. Make him fall in love with you. And then rip out his heart and his wallet."

"That sounds horrible! An eye for an eye-"

"Okay, you don't need to quote Hannah Montana's dad. I don't know how you could sympathise with a guy like that! He clearly has no respect for women." Kagome felt herself getting angrier the more she thought about him.

"Okay. I'll do it. But I have a few conditions."

"Like?" Kagome asked, a curious look on her face.

"Well, for one, I am _not _sleeping with him."

"He's great in bed," Koharu interrupted, her cheeks taking a rosy hue.

"And the lav on the train," Shima added.

"Oh-kay...Gross! TMI!" Kagome exclaimed. "Continue, Sango."

"I want my travel expenses covered, someone to look after my brother while I'm gone, and my payment to be made in cash. And a cut of the money we scam out of him."

"Deal," Kagome said with a warm smile. "Welcome to the team."

* * *

"What are you doing to me?" Sango squirmed as the aesthetician spread a honey-scented wax onto her forearm. She had already endured having her brows, legs and bikini waxed, but forearms? This was ridiculous!

"Pain is beauty, Sango." Kagome lay on the adjacent table in a white cotton robe, her pretty face in a zen-like state as her aesthetician wound thread around her eyebrows, quickly pulling out the individual hairs. "And every sane man is a sucker for a beautiful woman."

The aesthetician waxing Sango's forearms cleared his throat.

"Every sane _straight _man," Kagome corrected herself. "Sorry, Jakotsu."

He ripped the strip of wax off Sango's forearm and she winced in pain. "This must be what it's like in Hell. And since we're all going there for this little scheme, I better get used to it."

"That's the spirit!" Kagome smiled.

"So what's my backstory anyway?" Sango asked as she stared at her now-hairless forearm.

"You're the daughter of a Nikkei business tycoon from America, and you want to open a restaurant in Japan to prove to your father your keen business sense. And you need an investor. That'd be 'Kai.' That's why we're doing all of this. You need to look like an heiress!"

"I feel like Audrey Hepburn in _My Fair Lady._" Sango sighed.

"Who in what?"

"Never mind. It's not important..."

* * *

"You have such a lovely figure, you could wear a paper bag and make it look like haute couture. Koharu, your friend is simply darling."

They were in another department store in Ginza, and Sango was trying on the outfits that Koharu's personal shopper had scoped out in her size.

She stood before the three-way mirror, admiring the way the leather sheath dress hugged every curve of her body.

"You look like a Kardashian!" Koharu exclaimed, giving her the once-over. "Kim obviously. Pre-baby."

Sango wasn't sure whether to take this as a compliment or an insult, but she liked the way the garment fit her.

"Add this to the yes rack, Natsuko," Koharu told the personal shopper.

"You mean the only rack?" Natsuko laughed. "It's like it's impossible for her to look bad in something!"

"Wait until my father sees this month's credit card bill," Koharu whispered to Sango. "He's gonna flip shit. The first class flights to Okinawa, the clothes, the shoes, the bags, those scarves from Hermès, the Louis Vuitton luggage."

"Louis Vuitton luggage? Is your credit card limitless?" Koharu held up the black AmEx and Sango's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Don't you think it's even a _bit_ ridiculous that the amount you've spent on my wardrobe greatly exceeds how much this guy ripped you off for?"

"It's not about the money. It's about the revenge. I thought we were going to get married. I thought I was going to have his children and spend the rest of my life with him. I gave my virginity to this guy, and then I find out that he was just using me because I have a rich father and that I meant nothing to him. Now I want nothing more than to see someone do the same to him."

"I can't imagine how that must feel," Sango said in a small voice. "I've never even been in a relationship before."

"You've never been in a relationship?"

Sango shook her head.

"And how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-three...and a half." She shrugged. "I've been focused on my schooling and raising my little brother. I haven't really had time for romance. Is it that really that abnormal?"

"Only a little." Koharu smiled as she swiped her credit card. "Now let's see if we can get you in for a haircut. The waist-length hair has got to go. You look like you're going to smell of patchouli and try to pinch some weed off of me."

"Well, if the hair goes, then I go." Sango put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, all right."

* * *

Sango brushed some loose mineral powder over her nose, before swiping on some NARS blush and some plumping lip gloss. She looked at herself in the mirror. Neutral eyeshadow with just the slightest hint of shimmer was dusted on her eyelids in place of her usual magenta cream liner.

Her glossy brown hair fell to her lower back in a high ponytail, and she had cleavage to spare in the low-cut black Alice + Olivia jumpsuit she wore. She slung the Prada ostrich leather bag over her shoulder and stepped into the nude suede pumps, giving herself a quick once-over in the full-length mirror, before stepping into her living room.

Kagome, Shima, Koharu, and her little brother Kohaku sat on the couch and love seat, astonished by what stood before them. She sashayed towards them, scooping up her pet cat, Kirara, as if she were Paris Hilton carrying a chihuahua.

"Wow! You actually look like a girl." Kohaku was the first to speak. "How come you only ever dress nice for work."

"Because I have more important things to spend my money on, like bills, and food, and rent, and your school uniforms." Just thinking about those things stressed her out, and it was clearly visible on her face, because Kagome spoke next.

"With your cut of the money, you won't have to worry about those things for a little while." She flashed Sango a knowing smile.

"And you can keep the clothes and you'll never have to wear those awful bleach-stained sweatpants again," Koharu added. Sango glared at her.

"Quick! Five facts about you now!" Shima shouted, putting Sango's improv skills to the test.

"Well, let's see...I was born and raised in Laguna Beach, California. I attended the St. Anne School. I was raised Roman Catholic. My father is a timeshare magnate, and...I speak fluent...Latin?"

"Where did that last part come from?" Kagome asked.

"I ran out of ideas! Besides, we're going to Okinawa. It's not like I'm going to get lost in the ruins of Pompeii or have a three-way call with Brutus and Caesar."

"I didn't think that was half-bad," Shima commented.

Sango gestured towards the Laguna Beach Season 3 DVD on the coffee table, and the L.M. Montgomery calendar thumbtacked to the wall.

"Improv is _not _one of my strong points. I had to look at the objects around the room for inspiration."

Kohaku rose from the couch and stepped into the kitchenette. "Only you, Sango," he muttered as he opened the fridge and took a swig from the orange juice carton.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Thank you for reading! I'm having so much fun writing this! I'm sorry if it's going a little slow. Don't worry, Sango and "Kai" will meet very soon. By the way, I hope Sango didn't seem too out of character. I find out of all the characters in this series, she's one of the hardest to get into the head of. Anyway, I'll try to get up the next chapter soon, and in the meantime, reviews are very much appreciated. Love and hugs, Jade/cheerbabeexoxo_


	4. Chapter 4: Come & Get It

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter 4: Come & Get It**

_**A/N:**__ Hello to the 1.5 people who are reading this story! Maybe even less? Anyway, I've really wanted to insert a couple lines from songs at the beginning of the chapters, but I don't want to break site rules, so I was thinking about having a "chapter soundtrack" in the author's notes. So for this chapter, it's __**Mysterious Girl**__ by __**Peter Andre**__. The music video is friggin' hilarious, btw! **So** glad I'm too young to remember anything from the 90s other than cartoons, the Spice Girls, pop-a-point pencils, and McDonalds Pizza._

The flight had only been two hours and twenty-five minutes, but as they loaded their luggage into the undercarriage of the shuttle, the girls felt tired and jetlagged.

Kagome's grey eyes were obscured by a pair of oversized shades as she dozed off on the bus. Shima had her headphones in, the pulsating house beat audible to all around them. Sango snapped a picture nearly every metre the bus drove, causing Koharu to roll her eyes.

"Not all of us are lucky enough to own a villa at a seven star resort. This is a once in a lifetime experience for me," Sango said in her own defence.

They passed fields of pineapple and sugarcane, before the bus finally arrived at the tall, wrought-iron gates of the resort. They stepped off the bus and Kagome handed a crisp five thousand yen note to the driver, before a bellhop rushed to assist them with their bags.

"We're in villa number three," Koharu told him, and followed him to a luxe wooden bungalow with a deck overlooking the ocean and a small infinity pool.

"Thank you," she said, handing him a crumpled bill from a fat wad. The bellhop nodded in gratitude before walking away.

"This is amazing, Koharu," Kagome mused as she looked around. The villa was light and airy, with high beamed ceilings and beachy décor. Gauzy white curtains billowed in the breeze emanating through the open screen door.

"Thanks! Let me show you all to your rooms!" She led them down a hallway, stopping at a door on the right. "You can put your stuff in here, Kagome,"she said, opening the door to a spacious powder blue room.

She continued down the hallway. "This is mine," she panted as she dragged her luggage into a baby pink room. There was a four poster canopy bed and a poster of KAT-TUN on the wall.

"Here you are, Shima," she gestured towards another open door, the walls a bright custard colour.

The last stop was a large room with teak furniture, the walls painted taupe, and cheetah print bedding. There were mirrors on the ceiling above the California king bed.

"This is my parents' room," Koharu admitted, gauging from the look on Sango's face that she found it terribly gaudy. "You're in here, just in case you change your mind about a certain condition." Sango looked horrified, but she carried her luggage into the room anyway.

Kagome stood in the doorway, Shima in tow. "Now that we're all settled in, why don't we go to the front desk and try and find out where we can find our old friend Kai," Kagome suggested.

"Good plan," Shima agreed.

"Can I put on some concealer first?" Sango pleaded. "I look like death!"

* * *

Sango stepped towards the front desk while her three employers sat on a couch in the lobby, mai-tais in hand.

"Good afternoon, miss. How can I assist you today?" The elderly lady manning the desk had a sweet smile and a name tag that read _Kaede_.

"I'm actually looking for someone. An employee named Kai Aoyama?" Sango enquired. "Does that name ring a bell?"

"Oh, you mean the surfing instructor? You're the third girl to ask for him today. He's awfully popular with the ladies."

"Do you know where I could find him?" Sango asked sweetly. "I've always wanted to learn how to surf."

"He's on his break right now, but he should be back at the water sports section of the beach in about forty-five minutes."

"Thank you, Kaede," the younger woman gave a genuine smile. She stepped away, checking the clock on her phone, but her inattention caused her to walk into someone.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," she apologised, looking the man she bumped into up and down. He was tall, about six-foot two, with defined biceps, short black hair tied in a small ponytail, and the most dazzling amethyst eyes that she'd ever seen. She could see a glimpse of a six pack through the thin material of his white tank top. _It's him!_ she mentally shouted.

"Now that you do, do you like what you see?" he flashed her a smile, and Sango felt a blush rise to her cheeks. "I'm Mi–Kai...I'm Kai."

"The surfing instructor! Just the man I wanted to see!"

"You're looking for _me_? Do you surf?" he asked her.

"No. But I've wanted to learn ever since I saw _Teen Beach Movie._" She could feel Kagome glaring at her for that last sentence. She hated improv.

"Cool. I still have forty minutes of break left, but I don't see why I couldn't end it a little early. Maybe teach you a thing or two."

"Great! I'd love that. Let me get into my bikini and I'll meet you at the water sports shack in ten minutes."

"I'll be waiting. I'm looking forward to seeing you in that bikini." He winked and headed in the direction of the beach.

* * *

"You guys never told me I had to surf. I can't do this, you guys. I just can't."

"Calm down, Sango," Kagome tried to soothe the agitated young woman. "It's too late to back out now."

"I can't swim. I hate water! What if a fish tries to drag me away and make me its concubine?!"

Sango paced back and forth across the room. Four swimsuits were spread across the bed, but she was too anxious to pick one.

"You know, for someone who says they suck at improv, you've got quite the imagination! Don't worry, you'll be fine," Kagome reassured her.

"Alright." Sango gave in, picking up the giraffe print bikini off the bed.

"Good choice." Kagome smiled.

* * *

Sango trudged through the white sand of the beach, looking for shadowed spots to step. Her bare feet were burning as she made her way to the water sports shack.

Kai was as good as his word. When Sango approached the water sports shack, she found him being buried in the sand.

"Help me," he mouthed, as the children wielding shovels and pails roared with laughter. "Okay, guys," he turned to the kids. "I need to get out of...this...so I can teach this nice lady how to surf." He struggled to free himself from the sand, but somehow he managed.

"First of all, you need to sign this waiver," he said, getting down to business. "And then I'll need your room number and card key in order for you to rent the board." He handed her a pen and a thick document. "I only need this page." He flipped ten pages in.

"Okay," she said, scrawling her signature, and messily adding _villa no. 3 _the the appropriate column.

"Sweet! You've got a villa!" Kai looked impressed as he glanced over her shoulder.

"It's my father's, actually," Sango said matter-of-factly as she stripped out of the white sundress, only the giraffe print bikini remaining.

Kai didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was admiring her figure. Her legs were long and toned, her body taut, and she had just the right amount of cleavage. Most importantly, her derrière could give Kim Kardashian a run for her money. This woman standing before him had rendered him speechless.

"So what does your father do?" he finally asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

"He's the CEO of a timeshare company." _Jackpot!_

* * *

"Now that you've mastered the arts of paddling and standing up, how about catching a real wave?" Kai looked at Sango.

"I-I don't know yet," she answered nervously.

"I know you'll be great." He gave her a winning smile. "I'll even go out _with_ you if you want." She didn't budge. "You _said _you wanted to learn how to surf."

"Fine," she sighed, finally giving in. She carried the board to the water's edge, kneeling on it. Kai sat behind her, and they paddled out towards the incoming wave.

"Stand up...now!" he commanded, and she obeyed. "Weight towards the _centre _of the board." She tried to shift her weight, but slipped off the board, plunging into the azure depths of the wave.

* * *

Sango opened her eyes. She blinked twice, looking up at the man leaning over her, breathing air into her mouth, and squirmed.

"What do you think you're _doing_?!" she shouted, nearly choking on the seawater still in her mouth.

"Saving your life," Kai answered, a small smirk appeared on his face, before reverting back to the angelic expression he wore in front of the throng of onlookers.

"Then why are you fondling my _breast_?" she said through gritted teeth.

"You should have told me you didn't know how to swim," he lilted. "It's a good thing I knew CPR, or who knows how much you'd have sued this resort for."

"I have a feeling I'll be suing this resort for a different reason," she seethed.

* * *

_**A/N:** So we _finally _have some MirSan interaction! What did you think? Let me know in a review. And, surfers, I'm sorry for all the inaccuracies about your sport, but I know absolutely _nothing _about surfing. It must be as irritating for you as it was for me when I watched that horrible cheerleading competition episode of ANT Farm and they got everything wrong! I read a couple articles about surfing before I wrote this chapter, but they weren't very informative, so I kind up just thought of what I've seen in _Blue Crush _and _Lilo & Stitch _and wrote this chapter based on that knowledge._


	5. Chapter 5: Glad You Came

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter 5: Glad You Came**

**_A/N: _**_To quote my all-time favourite fanfiction author, XXXbloodyrists666XXX, "fangs 2 da goffik ppl 4 da good reveiws!" Oh, and chapter soundtrack: __**Glad You Came**__ by __**The Wanted**__, ah-bviously!_

"I can't do this! I'm not doing this! I'm sorry!" Sango crossed her arms, slumping on the animal-print bedspread.

"If all you were going to do was bitch and moan, then why did you agree to this?" Koharu gave her a dirty look.

"I never agreed to sexual harassment! Nobody _ever_ mentioned he was a pervert!"

Kagome put a hand on Sango's shoulder in a show of support. "I'm sorry. I didn't spend enough time with him to _know_." She shot daggers at the two other women seated on the bed.

"I only spent a bus and a train ride with him," Shima mumbled, eyes downcast. "He wasn't particularly touchy-feely until..." She blushed, unable to continue.

"And Naoki was _such _a gentleman," murmured Koharu, obviously still fawning over him.

"Yes! How _chivalrous_ of him to swindle you out of 4.9 million yen," Sango remarked, sitting up straight and leaning against the headboard.

The phone on the bedside table began to ring, and she scrambled to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hi. Is this Sango?" the voice on the other end sounded nervous.

"Oh...it's _you_." Sango put the phone on speaker.

"I wanted to call and say I'm _really _sorry about what happened earlier today. Maybe I can make it up to you somehow?"

The room was silent, but Kagome nodded furiously and mouthed a sentence.

_I'm _not_ saying that, _Sango mouthed back. Kagome looked at her pleadingly.

"Sango? Are you there? Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Well, I'm here in Ishigaki all by myself, and I _really _don't know my way around," she spoke coquettishly into the receiver. "How about a little tour? Tonight at, say, seven?"

"...Okay...I'll pick you up at seven on the dot!" Sango hit end and placed the phone back on the hook.

"Nicely done!" Kagome applauded, and Sango tried her hardest not to smile. "He sounded pretty eager to see you, if you ask me."

"Now, let's get you all dolled up!" Koharu looked at Sango from head to toe. "What about that cute peplum dress you tried on at French Connection?"

* * *

Sango was seated on the sofa as Kai walked through the open door of the veranda, his board shorts and muscle shirt replaced with a grey v-neck and dark-wash jeans. If he hadn't made Sango so angry earlier that day, she might have even admitted that he looked nice. It was a very big _might_, though.

"Hi." He stepped into the villa, regarding the long-limbed brunette sprawled across the couch. "You look radiant, as always."

Sango could feel her cheeks turning an incandescent crimson. "T-Thank you...Shall we head out now?"

"Let's!" He led her outside, where a red Vespa was parked, and tossed her the only helmet.

"Wow! This is so cool! I've wanted to ride one of these ever since I saw _Roman Holiday_!" she enthused, sounding genuinely impressed.

"No way! I love that film! Anyway, hop on." Sango did as she was told, wrapping her arms around the driver's waist. "Here we go!"

They rode into the town centre, passing bays of sparkling cerulean water, buildings with red-tiled roofs, temples, shrines, and pristine white sand beaches, Kai telling of their history along the way.

"You really know the area well! Are you from around here?" Sango asked as they parked curbside outside a restaurant.

"Not Ishigaki, no. But I grew up in Taketomi. It's the next town over."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I've been travelling a lot these past few years. I've spent a lot of time on the mainland, so it's great to be so close to home."

"I'll bet."

"In fact, I've been coming here since I was a kid," he said as he led her into the restaurant.

It was dark and dingy inside. The walls were wood-paneled, and the red leather banquettes looked worn. The smell of beer lingered in the air. The only other patrons were seated at the bar: a stout elderly man and a stocky tanuki.

"_Kai_, m'boy!" the old man slurred, clearly inebriated. "What can I do ya for tonight?"

"The usual, please, Mushin. Times two. And a bottle of Orion for the lady." Kai pulled out a bar stool for Sango, and she warily took a seat. The elderly man retreated to the kitchen.

"So what exactly _is _'the usual?'" Sango asked, twirling a strand of brown hair on her finger.

"You'll see soon enough," Kai replied, "but part of me feels that our chef is passed out somewhere in the kitchen. I'll be right back." He excused himself.

Sango's fingers moved with a fury as she tapped out a quick text message to Kagome. _So far, so gr8! _As she shoved her phone back into her purse, Kai and Mushin returned from the kitchen, carrying steaming plates heaped with something she couldn't put her finger on.

"And what's this?" she asked skeptically, looking at the mountain of food.

"Taco rice. Okinawan specialty," Kai answered, placing the plate in front of her.

The dish before her looked more Tex-Mex than anything. The smallest amount of rice was completely smothered in beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ketchup. She shut her eyes and forced a spoonful down, pleasantly surprised by the taste.

"How is it?" Kai asked, looking over at her. Her mouth full, she merely shot him a thumbs up. She washed the mouthful down with a swig of beer, thoroughly enjoying the meal.

"It's like nothing I've ever tasted," she finally said, after clearing her plate. "Thank you." Kai looked at her in astonishment. His own plate was still half full. _Where was she putting it?_

"Don't mention it. It's not that often that I get to take such a pretty girl out to dinner."

She felt herself blushing again. "Well, I had fun. I guess I'm glad I came."

"Well, I'm more than glad you came! See you for a 7AM surf session tomorrow?"

"I can't wait!"

* * *

_**A/N:**_ _Thank you for reading! I decided to write ahead because the coming weeks are going to be pretty hectic, with midterms and assignments, and all that. But **I promise, I won't abandon this story!** Whenever my time isn't totally occupied by friends, clubs, and coursework, I'll write bits and pieces of it, because **one thing that really annoys me is when authors on this site neglect to update.** There are stories on here that I remember reading in '07 that still haven't seen an update, and it's a crying shame! My exams end early December, and then it'll be Christmas holiday, so I'm really looking forward to that because I'll have more time to write, and maybe even start my Spamano fic (if any of you are into Hetalia) and my InuMir fic. In the meantime, feedback is always appreciated, so if you'd be so kind as to leave a review, I'd love that! TTFN, cheerbabeexoxo 3_


	6. Chapter 6: Not My Intention

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter 6: Not My Intention**

* * *

"Well, I'm glad to know your date went well," Kagome said cheerfully as Sango stepped through the front door. "You look like you might have actually had fun," she added teasingly.

"Well, I've had too much fun for one night. I think it's time to hit the hay. I've got to be on the beach for seven," Sango remarked as she kicked off her wedges and started towards her room.

"Not so fast!" Kagome slid in front of her, obstructing her path. "We have to discuss the 'Game Plan!'" She gestured towards Koharu and Shima who were seated on stools at the granite-topped island in the kitchen, armed with markers and a giant pad of chart paper.

"'The Game Plan?'" Sango offered a quizzical look.

"Yeah. We're drawing it up right now. Come take a peek," Koharu beckoned the brunette over.

Sango pulled up a stool beside Koharu and glanced at the chart paper-the same type of paper that a kindergarten teacher might use to write the class rules in primary-coloured markers. "Number one: 'Intrigue the "Bloody Scoundrel" and capture his heart.' That's pretty vague."

"No, it's pretty _self-explanatory_," Kagome retorted, leaning in to look at the sheet. "Spend time with him. Get him to like you. You seem to be doing a pretty good job of that so far." Sango fought her urge to smile.

"Number two: 'Get him interested in investing in your restaurant. Make it sound as appealing as possible.' Like a twenty percent cut of all profits or something?"

"Exactly!" Kagome nodded in approval. "Carry on."

"Number three: 'Get him to invest a ridiculously large payment in cash.' Guys, even _you_ wouldn't be dumb enough to fall for that. What makes you think _he'd_ be so stupid?"

"Because by then he'll be completely under your spell. And love makes a person do pretty stupid things. I know from experience," Koharu said, hanging her head in shame.

"Number four must be to return to the mainland and divvy it up?"

Kagome nodded in response. "What do you plan to do with your cut, if you don't mind me asking."

"Nothing too interesting. Maybe put some of it towards my student loans, pay my electrical bill? I'm sure you guys could think of way better ways to spend yours." Sango rose from the stool, pushing it back up against the counter when she got to her feet. "Anyway, good night guys. I have an early day tomorrow."

* * *

"Wow! You're a natural!" Kai praised Sango as she paddled back to shore. She'd ridden a wave for the first time without falling off her board. He high-fived her as she dragged herself out of the water.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she quipped as she wrung out her long brown tresses. "I still suck and you know it!"

"Not nearly as much as you did during the first lesson."

"Don't remind me." Sango cringed at the thought. "Well, at least I actually learned how to stay on the board during my final lesson."

"Final lesson?" Kai didn't even bother to hide his disappointment.

"Well, I'm not here for leisure. I have business to attend to."

"What kind of business?" His interest was now piqued.

"Uggghhhh...I don't want to talk about it. I need to get some coffee in me first. Come with me to the café?"

"I don't see why not. I don't have another lesson until eleven, so I've got nothing better to do."

* * *

"I'm opening a restaurant! Right here, in Ishigaki," Sango said excitedly. "I want my father to know that he's not the only one with a keen business acumen." She ripped open a packet of Splenda and shook it into her café con leche.

"Why here of all places? Wouldn't you be better off on the mainland?" Kai asked, perplexed. "There aren't even fifty thousand people living in Ishigaki."

"This will be the first of many. I plan to open them in resort towns all over the world. Negril, Honolulu, Cannes, Ibiza, Miami, Sagaponack...but I wanted to start in Japan and do my father proud."

"That's quite a lofty ambition. So how long are you here for, then?"

She stopped to think for a second. How long _was _she going to be there? "As long as it takes to buy a plot of land, meet with a contractor, and find partner for this endeavour."

"So I presume you'll be here for quite a while, then?" She nodded and a small smile spread across his lips. "Good. I'm glad."

She sighed. "It's going to take a while to find someone to invest in this, though. An American girl with no business experience whatsoever. I'm sure people will be lining up to sink their money into this." She frowned.

"Well, I'm not exactly a man of means-"

"No kidding! You teach snotty-nosed brats and overweight middle-aged tourists how to stand on a surfboard. Not exactly software developer wages."

"Can I continue?" he asked, ignoring the blow to his ego. "I'm not a man of means, but my grandfather left a sum of money to me after he passed away."

He continued, "He wrote in his will to spend it wisely. To make good investments. It's been six years and I still haven't touched it, but maybe if I see blueprints...if this looks like it's going to work out, you might just have an investor on your hands."

"Really?!" Sango's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Kai!"

"I'm not sure why, but I get a really good vibe from you. There's just something so _genuine _about you."

_If only you knew, _Sango thought.

* * *

Kagome rubbed one last squirt of SPF 50 on her nose and adjusted the sunhat that sat atop her shiny raven hair. Her strapless black one piece hugged her body in all the right places, displaying a generous amount of cleavage. A pair of oversized Chanel sunglasses hid her grey eyes as she tried to ignore the men of all ages that ogled her while she walked down the beach.

She finally found an empty sunlounger in the shade of a palm tree, next to the massage tent. She kicked off her flip-flops and sprawled out on the chair, producing a thin paperback book out of her tote. She was eager to read about Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan's torrid love affair, but a familiar voice from within the massage tent distracted her from her reading.

"...I didn't know how good I had it. She made an honest mistake. _I _made a huge mistake. I called her to apologize, but she never picked up. I fucked up so bad. Of course she wants nothing to do with me. So I've had to settle for a girl that looks exactly like her."

"You're tensing up again, Mr. Taisho. Please try to relax," came the soothing voice of the masseuse.

_Inuyasha._ Kagome put her book down, now listening intently to the conversation as it unfolded. She rose and stepped closer to the tent. She peeked through a gap and watched as the masseuse removed the last of the hot stones from his back.

"I'll just wait outside while you get dressed," the masseuse told him.

Kagome packed her tote and stepped into her flip-flops, eager to escape from the exchange.

"How much of that did you hear?" a normally gruff voice asked in a much gentler tone than usual.

She turned around to face the hanyou who posed the question. His long silver hair that he normally wore tied was down and loose, and he was dressed casually in a tank top and sweatpants. However, despite the relaxed outfit, he looked deeply agitated, and maybe even depressed.

"I heard enough," she answered coolly. "So you're seeing that Kikyo girl that works in Human Resources, I take it?"

He nodded begrudgingly. They looked at each other without a word.

"What are you doing here?" she finally demanded. "Don't you have a company to run? Where's your girlfriend?"

"I needed some time to just...process...everything. And Ayame said you'd be here," he admitted.

"You came to see _me_?" She sounded much happier at that realisation than she'd intended.

"I didn't say that!"

"It's okay. You didn't have to."

"Look, Kagome. I wanted to say I'm sorry. I should have trusted you more. You might have been dumb enough to get conned, but _I _was the fool."

"It's okay. I forgive you." Even though his apology was kind of backhanded, Kagome knew this was the best she'd get from Inuyasha, so she had no reason to complain. "I've missed you."

"I'm glad. I think Kikyo was getting pretty sick of me calling her Kagome."

"_Please_ tell me you didn't!"

"I did."

"She hated me enough before. I can't imagine what she thinks of me now."

* * *

"Hey, Miroku, who was that girl you brought with you the other night?" Hachi asked as the pretty strawberry blonde hostess topped off his rum and coke.

"It's _Kai _now, remember?" he told the tanuki in a hushed tone. They were in the only hostess club in Ishigaki, a place that they both frequented. "And she's just some rich Nikkei girl from Orange County or something..."

"And you like her?"

"I don't _dis_like her." He tried not to smile when he thought of the doe-eyed beauty that he'd been spending an _awful_ lot of time with. That long silky brown hair that he longed to run his fingers through. That round and pert bottom that was practically begging to be caressed.

"Miroku? Miroku?" Hachi interrupted his somewhat perverted thoughts.

"What is it, my friend?" Miroku asked, the lascivious smile disappearing.

"Oh nothing...I've only asked you her name _three times!_"

"It's Sango," he said dreamily, before briefly drifting off into his fantasy again.

"You slept with her yet?"

"I don't think she's that kind of girl. She was ready to murder me for giving her mouth-to-mouth!"

"So you mean she's frigid, then? No wonder you're so infatuated. You do love a good chase!"

"I _am _always up for a challenge, aren't I?"

"Just remember not to mix business and pleasure," the tanuki said firmly.

"Never," Miroku reassured his friend. "And speaking of pleasure, we need some more girls in here," he said to the bottle-blonde hostess perched on his lap.

* * *

"Wow! You _really_ missed me!" Kagome remarked as she threw on the baggy t-shirt Inuyasha had thrown to her to open the door for room service. She took the tray from the woman at the door and carried it to the bed where Inuyasha sat propped up on a pillow. "Blue balls much?" she taunted as she picked a fat chocolate-dipped strawberry off of a plate.

"Feh..." he huffed.

"I guess Kikyo didn't do the job right, eh? What would you do without me?"

She surveyed the immense spread of food that now covered the king-size bed. They were in Inuyasha's suite and their little "reunion" had left them famished.

"She's no you, Kagome," Inuyasha said softly as he tried to decide on something from the tray. "Geez...with the kind of money I'm payin' to stay here, you'd think they'd at least have some type of instant ramen on their menu." He pushed the tray away in annoyance.

"We can go to 7-Eleven and buy you some later if you want. How does that sound?"

"Pretty damn good!" He smiled.

* * *

**A/N:** _So I finally got around to updating! Midterm madness is over for the most part (I have a Spanish exam on Friday, but I'm not worried about it), so I'll be updating more regularly again until finals at the start of December. Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I couldn't help myself and had to bring InuKag back together. Anyway, thanks to anybody that's reading this story, and I will see you next chapter. XOXO._


	7. Chapter 7: Devil in a New Dress

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter 7: Devil in a New Dress**

_"You hear me sayin' no don't mess with this dress _  
_She's out to get ya dough, none more, none less."_  
**Ludacris ft. Bobby Valentino - Gold Digger**

* * *

Kagome rubbed her eyes, nearly blinded by the light streaming through the gauzy white curtains. She squinted at the clock on the nightstand. _Frig! It's nearly 10 AM. I should get back to the villa. _

"I've got to get going," she whispered to the sleeping body next to her. He merely grunted in response. Kagome quickly dressed herself and finger-combed her long, dark hair. She surveyed herself in the full-length mirror. The baggy red t-shirt could_ almost_ pass for a shirtdress.

_How am I going to explain myself to the girls? _she wondered as she stepped into her sandals and out the door of the suite. A maid passing by with a cart of cleaning supplies offered her a quizzical look. Clearly nobody would buy the fact that the t-shirt was a dress.

As she walked back to the villa, Kagome admired the resort's grounds. She'd never noticed the colourful hibiscuses in bloom, or how beautiful the cerulean waves looked crashing against the sugary-white sand. She'd been so consumed with getting revenge and her recent breakup to enjoy her holiday, she realised as she climbed the villa's wooden steps.

"Somebody looks happy." Sango looked up from her magazine as Kagome stepped through the door. "Where were you?"

"I...uh...ran into an old friend and I...erm...spent the night?" It came out as more of a question than an answer, but Sango nodded understandingly. "Where are the others? At a tennis lesson with that cute instructor? Sven, I think his name is?"

"No. They're nursing pretty bad hangovers. They watched _The Room _and played a drinking game last night. I can't imagine how their livers are still functioning!"

"Well, get them some toast or Powerade or something. We're having a family meeting!"

* * *

"As you know, we have been here for nine days." Kagome stood before the other three girls like a teacher before a room of pupils. "And we haven't earned back a single yen. We need to up our game, and I've got an idea."

"Of course you do," Sango muttered.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing...carry on."

"You are going to throw a party with your partner. An investor's gala, if you will."

"It should be on a yacht! All the classy parties are on yachts!" Koharu exclaimed.

"Do you _have _a yacht to throw this party on?" Kagome asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"As a matter of fact, my father _does _have a yacht in the marina," Koharu said matter-of-factly.

Kagome turned to Sango. "So you're going to be hosting a _yacht _party, apparently. But you'll be doing it on _his _dime."

"How?" Sango looked puzzled.

"Your father cut you off? You can't access your trust fund? Your Swiss bank account is frozen? Your credit card's been declined? I don't know. That's up to you. But you have to make sure he foots the bill for everything, and we'll take care of the rest."

"We rent him my dad's boat. We make the food, the invites, everything, and charge him for that. We'll have the money back in no time! It's brilliant!" Koharu sounded excited.

"I'm game," Sango finally said. "Let's do it. I'm meeting Kai for a beer this evening, anyway. I'll find a way to bring it up."

* * *

"Hey, Kai, I've been meaning to say," Sango said as she stared at the half-empty glass of Sapporo before her, "we should do something...to draw in some investors for this restaurant thing." _Did I cut to the chase a little too soon? _she couldn't help but wonder.

"Like a party or something?" he asked. Her eyes lit up. _Too easy._

"Yeah, something like that. Invite all the bigwigs we can think of...and you know what would _really_ wow them?"

"What?"

"A yacht! In America, all the hottest parties happen on yachts!"

"Really?"

"Of course! Let's rent a yacht and let them feel like Jay-Z for an evening. You know, because that's how we want our patrons to feel when they step through the doors of the restaurant."

"You want the patrons to feel like a former crack dealer who grew up in the projects? Is _American Gangster_ the theme you had in mind?"

"Okay, maybe not the _best_ example. But we're selling an experience. They're a _somebody_ for an evening."

"And when do you intend to throw this party?"

"I was thinking this Thursday?"

"But that only give us five days to take care of everything. We need food, and decorations, and invitation...not to mention the _yacht_!"

"I know some people," Sango said, an air of mystery in her voice. "You have tomorrow off anyway, don't you? We can take care of it all tomorrow."

* * *

"Where did you find this place, Shima?" Kagome asked as the three girls wove their way through the stalls of a dark and dingy indoor market. Calling the place sketchy would be an understatement.

"The guy had an ad on Kijiji. Oh, look, here's his stall!" Shima exclaimed as they approached the nondescript booth. Cardboard boxes were marked in black Sharpie, _10/￥__50, _and an elderly man with caterpillar eyebrows straightened the jars of red paint lined up on the counter next to the cash register.

"How can I assist you ladies today?" he rasped in a voice that indicated years of chain smoking.

"We're here for the tags," Shima replied.

He pointed a yellowed finger towards the cardboard box. "I got Gucci. I got Prada. I got Louis, Marchesa, Alexander McQueen. All in the box."

"Thank you," Kagome said politely as she thumbed through the box. "Koharu, you would know. What designer does that dress we bought resemble the closest?"

"Givenchy," Koharu said, without giving it a second thought. "Here, I'll help you look." She dug through the box until she found the appropriate label.

"Now, who here knows how to sew?" Kagome asked. "Because I sure as hell don't."

"I do!" Shima said confidently. "I had to mend my costumes when I did dance."

"So all we have to do is take out that Forever 21 tag, stitch on the Givenchy...and you know what, we should buy some of that paint. We can paint the soles of those shoes red." Kagome had become enthusiastic.

"I have Christian Louboutin insoles...￥200," the shopkeeper added. "What size do you need?"

"A 39," Kagome responded. "This is going to be perfect!"

* * *

The bells on the door of _Chiyo, Couturier _chimed as Kagome, Shima, and Koharu entered the small boutique.

"Koharu!" A petite, middle-aged woman ran towards the trio, greeting Koharu with a kiss on both cheeks. "I haven't seen you in a hot minute! How's your mama doing?"

"She's great. A little miffed with me right now, but she's doing well."

"That's good to hear. Well, are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Kagome, Shima, meet Chiyo Fujita. Couturier extraordinaire."

"It's a pleasure to meet you ladies," Chiyo said, extending her tiny hand to the two women. "Now, what can I do for you three?"

"I need a favour," Koharu replied. "See, we have this dress...and these shoes." Kagome held up a short, black bodycon dress and a pair of patent leather pumps for Chiyo to see.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, girls, but those aren't real Louboutins. And that dress looks like you got it off the clearance rack of a Forever 21."

"Damn! She really knows her stuff," Kagome said, impressed. "I found it for ￥1,400!"

"Anyway, we need your help," Koharu pleaded. "My ex-boyfriend is probably going to come by here tomorrow with his new girl and buy her a dress, and maybe a pair of shoes. We want you to sell him this one, for ￥450,000, and the shoes for ￥90,000...we'll let you keep five percent of the earnings."

"What if word gets out that I'm selling fake Givenchy and Christian Louboutin?"

"It won't," Kagome assured her. "Haven't you ever had a douchebag ex that you've wanted to get back at?"

It was hard to tell with all the Botox, but Kagome was pretty sure that for a brief moment, Chiyo frowned. "That fucker got everything in our divorce! The house, the dogs...you know what? I'll do it!"

"Wow! Thanks, Chiyo! You're a real life saver!" Koharu said gratefully. "Now all we have to take care of is the food and the invites."

"We can buy cardstock and glitter glue at 100-Yen for the invitations...and we can make canapés with herring roe instead of caviar," Kagome offered.

"And pour box wine into Château Margaux bottles," Chiyo suggested. "With all the money floating around here, you can probably find some empty bottles of it in someone's recycling bin."

* * *

"Mr. Yoneyama! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Sango offered a dazzling smile to the elderly maître d' that Koharu had offered ￥40000 to act as the owner of the yacht.

"You must be Miss Tsukamoto and Mr. Aoyama. Well, how about a tour of my yacht?"

"That would be lovely," Kai replied as he followed "Mr. Yoneyama" onto the boat. "Wow! What a beautiful boat!"

"Indeed she is! That's why I was a little skeptical of renting her out. But you two seem like decent kids. I doubt you'll trash her."

"It'll be a small, tasteful gathering of middle-aged businessmen," Sango reassured him. "Now, shall we get down to business?"

"Certainly! I won't let a beaut like...Isabella...go for cheap."

"How much do you have in mind?" Kai asked warily.

"I won't let her go for any less than ￥2,000,000."

"For a boat this nice, that's a pretty good deal!" Sango sounded impressed. "But I'm a little short right now. I'll pay you back, Kai, I promise, but—"

"Done." Kai slowly pulled his chequebook from the pocket of his jeans without protest. "Have you got a pen on you?" He turned to Sango.

"You're in luck! I do!" Mr. Yoneyama pulled out a Montblanc pen from his shirt pocket. "Make it out to Naō Yoneyama."

"Thank you, Kai," Sango said sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him. By now she'd managed to get ￥40,000 out of him for invitations, ￥48,000 for food, ￥298,000 for wine, and the ￥2,000,000 for the yacht. _Clearly conning naïve young women was a lucrative business._

"Don't mention it," he replied, meaning it literally. He didn't need a reminder of how much money he was throwing away every time he got out his chequebook. But every time Sango smiled at him with gratitude, he forgot that he was slowly diminishing his chequing account.

"You know, I just realised that I have nothing to wear to this party," Sango stated as the pair walked the main street. "Luckily Chiyo's is right around the corner."

"Everything in that store is ridiculously overpriced," Kai told her.

"Don't worry. I have my credit card," she said, and he sighed in relief. They entered the store. The "Givenchy" dress and black patent "Louboutins" were displayed on a mannequin.

"Welcome," Chiyo greeted as she sashayed towards her customers. "How can I be of service?"

"That outfit on the mannequin. Could I possibly try it on?" Sango asked politely.

"Yes, of course! Givenchy, straight from the catwalks of Paris Fashion Week. This is our last dress. And the ever-popular Christian Louboutin Daffodiles. What size do you need?"

"A 39?"

"You're in luck! The last of your size, right on this mannequin. I'll get a fitting room ready for you, love."

"Thanks." Sango followed the proprietress to the back, where the petite woman hung the dress and placed the heels in a red-curtained cubicle.

"Let me know how it fits," Chiyo called to Sango from the other side of the curtain.

After a moment, the brunette emerged from the fitting room. "How does it look?" she asked Kai, as he looked up from his phone.

"Perfect," he replied, looking at her longingly. The tight garment clung to all the right places, and the red-soled shoes made her toned legs appear even longer.

"It's not too...slutty, is it?" she whispered, crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously. Kai shook his head no.

"It's sexy, but at the same time, it's classy," he responded as she retreated back into the fitting room, reemerging in her silk tunic and pedal pushers.

"How did it fit?" Chiyo asked as she removed the security tag from the dress at the cash.

"Like a glove," Sango replied. "Now how much will that be?"

"￥540,000, please, love."

Sango fumbled through her Celine handbag for her wallet, and handed Chiyo the credit card that Kagome had helped her spray paint black the night before.

Chiyo swiped it and frowned as much as her overly-Botoxed face would allow. "Declined," she stated.

"What? How is that possible? I couldn't have gone over my limit!" Sango looked thoroughly offended. "Well...I guess we'll just have to try another one." She handed over another credit card.

"Declined," Chiyo said as she swiped it.

"Sango," Kai said in a calm voice, a stark contrast to his agitated partner. "If you really need it, I'll get it for you."

"No! I couldn't ask you to do that! I'm not some charity case!"

"No, I insist. Think of it as an investment in our future," he said. "As business partners," he hastily added.

* * *

"You know, for doing all our shopping at a budget supermarket, I'd say this food looks pretty good. Almost edible," Koharu commented as she set the last tray of amuse-bouches on the linen-spread table. There were canapés, vols-au-vent, a platter of maki, and an assortment of the most adorable petits fours.

"You know, we should run a party planning business," Kagome marvelled. "The decorations look fantastic, the invitations look like they were done professionally, and the food _doesn't_ look like it only cost us ￥10,000 for the ingredients. Nice work, ladies!"

"How are we doing for time, Shima?" Sango asked as she stepped out of the cabin.

"Well, we should probably leave now, because the party starts in half an hour. Which means that Kai should arrive in about fifteen minutes."

"See you later, Sango," Kagome said as she and the two others scaled the stairs that led onto the dock. "Try not to have too much fun without us."

* * *

Sango had spent the entire evening schmoozing the suit and tie-clad guests, who had expressed genuine interest in her not-so-genuine enterprise. Only the cheap wine had made the evening bearable, and not for its flavour.

"Would you gentlemen excuse us for a moment?" Kai asked the two businessmen with whom Sango was conversing. She gave them an apologetic look as she excused herself, following Kai to the privacy of the cabin.

"What do you say we get out of here?" he asked as he shut the door behind them.

"_Excuse _me?" Sango looked confused. "Have you lost your mind?"

"There's this club, Amnesia it's called, and it's house night tonight. Come on! It'll be fun!"

"Grinding on Jersey Shore rejects is not my idea of fun. And we can't just leave our guests!"

"There's free food. There's Château Margaux. They'll won't even notice we're gone."

"Fine," she admitted defeat. "You are unbelievable."

* * *

Sango knocked back another shot of liquid cocaine. The Jagermeister burned her throat, and she wasn't at all fond of the taste, but for the first time in a while, she was at ease.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Kai asked as the bartender slid her another shot. "Had enough" was an understatement. Sango was completely inebriated. He had to keep a close eye on her or she'd start twerking on a table again, or even worse, _actually _go home with one of the many gold chain-wearing douchebags that had hit on her since they'd gotten to the club.

"I'm fine. Mmmkaaaaayyyy?" she slurred. "'s a love hotel down the street. Let's see if 's any good."

"Sango, you're drunk. We should get you home before you do something you regret."

"Am I too fat?" she asked, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. "Am I not pretty enough?" She began to sob.

"No! It's not that," he said, trying to console her. "Normally I would love nothing more than to...but you're not in the right state of mind right now. You should probably some rest or you'll have a nasty hangover tomorrow morning. Ok?"

"'Kayyyyyyy!"

"I'm calling a cab and bringing you back to my place. Guess I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."

* * *

"Kai?" Sango called through the semi-open door into the next room. She had sobered up slightly since they'd returned to his apartment and had been lying awake in bed staring at the ceiling. She wondered if he was still awake on the couch.

"What is it now, Sango?" he asked, trying to hide his irritation. He had work in the morning, and it was bad enough that he had to sleep on the couch, but whenever he began to drift off to sleep, she'd wake him up. Once for a glass of water, a second time to ask him what he thought cats dreamt about, a third time to ask if he thought O.J. Simpson was innocent, and now, the fourth—and he hoped—final time.

"I'm so lonely in here. Would you just come and lie next to me until I fall asleep?"

Anything would be better than sleeping on a sofa, so he almost leapt at the opportunity. "Fine. If you promise to stop waking me up and asking me random questions."

"Okay." Kai lay down on top of the comforter. "Why are you lying on top of the covers? Won't you be cold?"

"I'll be alright. If you were sober, you probably wouldn't want me anywhere near you on a bed. Good night."

Sango shut her eyes, and then opened them again. "Kai?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for not taking advantage of me." She turned over on her side and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: _Thanks for reading! You can expect an update _muy pronto_, and, if you'd like, leave me a review? They're always appreciated! Only two more chapters and an epilogue to go! I'm so excited! And I decided I'm putting lyrics at the top, because #YOLO. And if removes it due to this, I'll edit them out and repost._**


	8. Chapter 8: Maybe I Love You

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter 8: Maybe I Love You**

_"And I know it's not right, _

_And I guess I should try_

_To do what I should do,_

_But I could fall in love, fall in love with you."_

**Selena - I Could Fall In Love**

* * *

Sango tried to make as little noise as possible as she stepped through the front door of the villa. It was only 6 AM. There was no way in hell that the other girls would be awake. Or so she thought.

"Well, well, well." Kagome crossed her ankles, and then uncrossed them again. She was seated in the armchair, Shima and Koharu on the adjacent loveseat. "Look at you! Traipsing around town, living the high life. Did you have fun last night?"

"I-It's not what it looks like," Sango stammered.

"I don't want to hear your excuses." Kagome waved her hand dismissively. The normally sweet, pleasant, and cordial woman had quite a temper. "Where the hell were you last night?!" she demanded.

"I went to a nightclub, and I got drunk. Apparently I came on to Kai. He took me back to his place and put me to bed before I could do anything I'd regret."

"How lovely," Kagome said mockingly. "Look, we're not paying you to have fun or get 'turnt up.' You're here to do a job, am I making myself clear?"

Sango nodded. Even though she knew she could probably beat the other woman up with her hands tied behind her back, Kagome was still pretty fearsome when angered, as Sango had just learned.

"Until we get back every. Single. Yen. Your work is nowhere near done," Koharu enunciated every word through gritted teeth.

"I know. Take Naoki-slash-Satoshi-slash-Shin-slash-Kai to the cleaners," Sango sighed.

"If you worked at WacDonalds and left halfway through your shift to go party, what would happen, Sango?" Kagome asked bitchily.

"I'd be fired."

"Almost instantly. Why would this be any different?"

* * *

The door was ajar as Miroku made his way up the front steps of the villa, a bouquet of casablanca lilies in hand. Through the curtains he saw Sango, looking apologetic as she stood before three familiar-looking girls.

"Until we get back every. Single. Yen. Your work is nowhere near done." He recognised that voice! That rich girl from Osaka. What was her name? Koharu. _Oh shit. _Next to her sat the girl he'd met on the train. Shima, if he remembered correctly. And sitting in the armchair was his latest victim, the girlfriend of that multimillionaire. Kagome Higurashi, a name still fresh in his mind. _How do they all know each other?_ he wondered.

"I know. Take Naoki-slash-Satoshi-slash-Shin-slash-Kai to the cleaners." This time Sango spoke. Or maybe sighed was a better word.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The con had been conned. He didn't know what to believe anymore.

Had she felt anything for him at all in the time they'd spent together, or had she been stringing him along the whole time? Was this how the girls he conned felt after he left with their money? He'd never even given them a second thought.

Feeling heartbroken and dejected, he set the flowers down on the table on the veranda and turned away.

_Maybe I deserve this. Maybe all the bad things I've done in my life have finally caught up with me._

* * *

Sango was wrapped in a towel, having just emerged from a hot shower, when she heard a rap on the door. She dried off her wet hair and slipped into a terrycloth bathrobe, before answering it. "Kai. Look, I'm really sorry to have troubled you last night. I didn't mean to be such an imposition. I..."

"Don't sweat it." He looked troubled, but he forced himself to smile. "I wanted to show you something."

"Yeah? Just let me get dressed. You can sit if you like." She gestured towards the living room as she headed down the hall to her bedroom.

"I'll be five minutes," she called as she pulled her damp hair into a high ponytail and threw on a pair of high-waisted shorts and a tube top, spritzing herself with a little Vera Wang Princess. She stepped into a pair of black espadrilles and swiped on some lip gloss. "I'm ready!"

* * *

The grassy knoll overlooked the shimmering sea. It was slightly overgrown, with sea lettuce bushes, Itajii trees, and flowering hibiscus bushes, but the greenery gave the plot of land the appearance of a tropical paradise.

"Kai, this is amazing," Sango marvelled as she looked around the thicket. "Actually it's perfect! Let's make the restaurant here! Let's talk to the owner!"

"Wait a minute," Kai said, a grim expression on his face. "Before we go ahead, I want to share a few secrets. After knowing them, you might want to break the partnership."

Sango's lips spread into a smile. "What secret can that be? Don't be silly! I'm not breaking the partnership."

"You will also have to tell me your secrets." Her smile briefly faded, before she forced it again.

"I don't have any secrets," she said, shaking her head. "Tell me y—"

"I'm a conman." This statement caught Sango off guard, causing her to take a step back. "I'm a thief. For the last six years, I've conned thirty ladies. You are the thirty-first." She clasped her hand to her mouth.

"Our friendship, our partnership, my investment in your project has all been for this." Sango's face fell, and she got a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. "My plan was to run away after fleecing you...but I fell in love with you, Sango." He looked at her to gauge her reaction. She blinked a few times, offering him a look of disbelief.

"I am not lying. I have lied a lot. I've spent my entire life alone. Even if I wanted to be friends with someone, I would scold myself and restrain. But since I met you, my heart won't listen to me. Do you...love me?" He looked at her expectantly. She didn't know what to say. "Will you marry me, Sango?"

* * *

"He proposed to you?" Koharu was furious. Sango merely nodded woefully. "Liar! Look at her face. He never proposed to me. Why would he propose to her?"

"It's not a proposal. It's a con, silly," Shima tried to calm Koharu. "The biggest con of his life. After marrying her, he will have her money, her father's money, the land, and the restaurant. With an investment of twenty million yen, he's hit the jackpot."

"Well, I can't help but wonder," said Kagome, "what he was buying her all these dresses and shoes for."

"He'll marry for money," Shima stated. Kagome's grey eyes twinkled, her lips forming into a smile. The gears were turning in her head, in anticipation of a brilliant idea.

"Marry him," she told Sango.

"No way! Are you crazy?" Koharu asked, bewildered.

"This is the best way to get the rest of our money," Kagome responded.

"How?" Shima asked dubiously.

"Her father won't marry her off to a thief like Kai without any security, right? And for that security, Sango's father will ask him to buy that land in her name before the wedding."

"So she's going to marry Naoki?" Koharu spoke with a hint of sadness.

"No. The plot will be bought before the wedding. We'll sell it immediately after its registration, take our money, and get on the first flight home."

"Not bad, Kagome," Shima commented.

"Can you clear one matter first? Will she or won't she be married to Naoki?"

"No, Koharu. Sango will only accept his proposal. Make him speak to her father," Kagome explained. "That's right! We need to find a father for her. Let me figure this out."

"I'll make tea," Shima announced to no one in particular.

"And I'll leave." Sango spoke for the first time in the past half hour as she rose from the armchair.

"No. Let Kagome make her call." Shima lightly pushed her back down as she passed.

"Did he give you flowers?" Koharu whispered as she leaned in towards Sango.

"Huh?"

"When he proposed. How about a ring?"

"No." Sango shook her head, looking disheartened.

"A kiss? Surely you must have kissed?!"

"I am conning him and he is conning me," Sango simply stated, ending the conversation then and there as Kagome reentered the room.

"Sango, we've got your father taken care of. And now, let's find the value of that land."

* * *

"It's a fair deal, miss. Don't worry," the middle-aged man behind the desk at Magnum Properties reassured Shima. "The owner is in Taiwan. I have the Power of Attorney. I'll handle the formalities. The final price is fifty million yen. No bargaining. Sorry."

She left the office without making a transaction. "Fifty million yen," she said to Kagome, who was leaning against the rental car.

"Really? That's great," Kagome beamed, as she opened the driver side door and took a seat. "Now, it's time for a call from father."

* * *

Sango's BlackBerry buzzed against the mahogany table. _Daddy, _the screen flashed. "It's my father," she said in a low voice as she handed the phone over the glasses of bordeaux.

Kai exhaled nervously and reached for the phone, before putting it on speaker. "Hello, Mr. Tsukamoto."

"Kai Aoyama?" a stern-sounding male voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, sir, Kai Aoyama."

"Let's cut straight to the chase. How much do your surfing lessons bring in? Probably not even five million yen annually. Sango's shoes alone cost nearly that amount."

"Sir, it goes without saying that I don't have your kind of money. But Sango's happiness is of the utmost importance to me." He looked at the woman seated across from him with adoration. "I promise to always keep her happy."

"A promise has no value. Bills cannot be paid with promises. How do I know you're not marrying my little girl for her money? Tell me."

"Sir, I love Sango, not her money."

"I can't just take your word for it. I need proof. If you want to marry my daughter, then buy a plot of land of her choosing and register it in her name for her restaurant. I'll make the rest of the investment in the restaurant. But if you buy the land, I'll be able to sleep at night knowing she has some security. That's my only condition."

Sango looked at Kai pleadingly. He was pensive, too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice. The tension hung so thickly in the air that it could be cut with a knife.

"What happened? Is she not worth it?" the voice on the other end challenged.

"I'll do it, sir." Sango nearly choked on her wine with genuine shock. "For Sango, I'd do anything." A blush rose to her cheeks.

* * *

"Looks like the butcher just became the calf." Kagome raised a perfectly threaded eyebrow. The same man they'd hired to play the yacht owner sat beside them, holding a BlackBerry to his ear.

"I'm telling you, the bastard is in love," Koharu said.

"He doesn't love anyone. He's laying his trap slowly and steadily," Shima stated objectively.

"I don't know, Shima. He seems to be getting caught up in it." Kagome smiled.

* * *

"What's wrong? You're so tense." Sango spoke gently as she massaged Kai's shoulders later that evening.

"I'm trapped." He appeared to be on the verge of tears. "I've made a promise, but I don't have fifty million yen. I only have twenty-five million left after the yacht party."

"So what now?"

"Had I not met you, I could have conned someone for it easily. But now I can't do it." He looked to the ceiling. "I love you, but how I will give your father security, I don't know."

He spoke so sincerely that Sango couldn't help but feel bad for him.

* * *

"We're not putting in the twenty-five million yen. Do you have any idea how hard that was for us to obtain?" Kagome asked.

"With our twenty-five and his twenty-five, he'll buy the plot. Hopefully when we sell it, we'll get more than fifty, and we recover all our money plus profit," Shima explained.

"Okay, Sango. Tell him you managed to scrape together twenty-five mil by selling your purses. Am I clear?" Kagome asked.

"Crystal," Sango said quietly. "But Kagome? What if he's genuinely fallen in love with me, then?"

Shima groaned from her perch on the counter. "What's going on here?" Kagome seethed.

"Love. Duh!" Koharu piped up. "See, I told you she's a traitor."

"He is leading you on," Shima tried to sound reasonable. "He's incapable of love."

"He loves _me_...perhaps," Sango said in a small voice.

"So after thirty other girls, Sango came around and the scoundrel became a caring, honest lover," Kagome said icily.

"Believe me. He has changed. If you look into his eyes you will see an honest man," Sango promised.

"Enough, Sango." Shima waved her hand in frustration. "I thought the same thing when he told me his whole sob story on the train and I gave him everything I had. If you don't want to go through with this, whatever. But don't mock us. When he vanishes without a trace after breaking your heart, that's when you'll realise her pain." She gestured to Koharu. "And that's when you'll realise that _we're_ your well-wishers, not him."

Sango felt her lip begin to quiver, but she bit it hard enough to stop the tears and stepped forward. "Kagome. The money?"

"Do you really think we're that stupid that we'd hand over such an amount to a thief's girlfriend?" Koharu asked. "You'll run off with it. It's obvious you're in love with him."

"I am." The room fell silent. "I'm in love with him. But I'm an honest girl, not a thief. Maybe I'm constantly struggling to make ends meet, but I feel proud when I know that at least I'm living honestly. I wouldn't sell that feeling for all the money in the world. I won't cheat you. Trust me."

Without a word, Kagome handed Sango the duffle bag containing the money.

* * *

"I'll return all your money," Kai assured Sango as he took the bag from her and set it down on the pier.

"Just promise me, no more lies," she pleaded. He pulled her into his Drakkar Noir-scented embrace.

"I love you," he murmured, running his fingers through her long, dark hair.

"I love you too," she whispered.

* * *

"Owner?" a wiry old man asked as the couple went over paperwork in the wood-panelled office of Magnum Properties.

"Mr. Anthony Tien," the middle-aged man, who had been granted Power of Attorney, stated. "He's settled in Taiwan. Power of Attorney is with me. Mr. Kimura."

"Buyer?" the old man asked.

"Sango Tsukamoto," the brunette replied.

"Sign please?" The old man handed a paper to Mr. Kimura, who upon signing, handed it to Sango. She smiled as she took the pen and scrawled the fake signature she'd been practicing for the past few weeks.

* * *

_**A/N: I said I'd update soon, and I meant what I said. Now there's one chapter and an epilogue to go! And, **_**AmeliaBlake**_**, I just wanted to thank you for reviewing so consistently. I loved **_**What If?**_** and **_**Repent**_**, so it's pretty cool to have someone who writes such awesome stories reviewing mine. The next chapter will be up soon. I've already started it! And I want to big up everybody who's actually still putting up with this story. Mad daps to anybody still reading!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Nearly As Cruel As You

**Better Than Revenge**

**Chapter 9: Nearly As Cruel As You**

_"Girl meets boy, and boy he's a looker.  
Can't separate the salt from the sugar.  
There's nothing in your pockets, there's footprints on your face.  
You can't tell anymore if you're the rabbit or the snake."_

**Kacey Musgraves - Stupid**

* * *

"I can't believe we did it!" Kagome looked at the sheets of paperwork in awe. "It's legit! This land is ours now!"

She pulled Sango into a tight squeeze. "I'm sorry I've been such a bitch lately. We couldn't have pulled this off without you."

"Thank you, Sango." Shima gave her a warm smile. "Koharu?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks."

The four girls stood in the shade of an Itajii tree, facing the water. They came together for a group hug, but the heartwarming moment was interrupted by the sound of three large pickup trucks backing onto the property.

"Carry those to the water's edge, boys," a moustached man in a hardhat ordered the ten men hoisting heavy white sacks over their shoulders.

"Um, excuse me? What do you think you're you doing?" Kagome asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Building a flood barrier," the man with the moustache replied.

"Where's the flood?" Kagome looked skeptical. "And who gave you permission to do this?"

"This place floods like chapters six through nine of Genesis during typhoon season," the man informed her. "And the owner gave us permission. Anthony Tien, I think his name was."

"Well, we're the new owners," Koharu said proudly. "And we bought this piece of land for fifty million yen. It was a steal of a deal!"

"Fifty million yen for this?!" the man asked, his mouth agape. "Are you sure they didn't accidentally write an extra zero on the statement?"

"Why? Is that too much?" Sango asked, trying to hide her worry.

"_Five_ million yen would be too much for this piece of junk! It's swamp land. It's under water for six months of the year. Now if you'll excuse me." He walked away. "Hey, Ichiro, that Tien guy made off with fifty million yen for this land!"

Sango could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She felt used. Like nothing more than a pawn in a game. She offered a rueful look to the three irate women she stood next to and wondered how she could be so naïve.

"What's your cut?" Shima asked frostily. "Is it fifty-fifty? Sixty-forty? How much of that fifty million is the scoundrel giving you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"What is it?" Shima demanded, shoving Sango angrily. "You double-crossing little bitch!"

"I come here and I do this for you, and you're accusing me of being a liar?" Sango's heartbreak turned to fury. "I'm done with this. I'm going home." She stormed off through a clearing in the trees without looking back.

"Sango, wait! She didn't mean it!" Kagome called after her, but there was no reply.

"Don't take your loss out on Sango, Shima. He had her fooled too," Koharu added in Sango's defence. "Now let's visit the property place and see if we can get this taken care of."

* * *

When the girls arrived at Magnum Properties, newspaper was taped over the windows and the sign had been taken down. Kagome tried the door. Much to her surprise, it was unlocked, and the trio made their way into the building.

Inside, the office had appeared to be ransacked. The desk lay on the floor, legs up, and the potted bonsai spilled its contents onto the rug. Only the two burgundy file cabinets in the corner remained untouched.

"Shima, Koharu, you guys check in there," Kagome commanded as she rifled through a desk drawer.

Koharu retrived a blue folder from the cabinet. "Could this be it?" she asked as she opened the folder. Kagome looked at her shoulder at squinted at the writing. _Daily Log_, the writing at the top of the page read.

"It says here that someone named Yuu Toriyama sold this land for two million yen to one Anthony Tien...two days ago," Shima said, looking up from the paper.

"So, the scoundrel must have bought the land for dirt cheap as Anthony Tien, granted Power of Attorney to Kimura, and pocketed the twenty-five million in the end," Kagome observed. "And probably caught the next flight to Tokyo and gotten the hell out of Ishigaki."

"So what do we do now?" Koharu asked, tucking the paper back into its folder.

"I guess all we _can _do is return to the villa and get our things. We've been had. End of story!"

* * *

As Kagome, Shima, and Koharu made their way to the villa, they noticed Kai sitting on the bottom step. He wore a smirk on his face, that had Sango have been there, she would have surely slapped off.

Kagome looked from Shima to Koharu and back in bewilderment. What the hell was he doing here? Had he come to gloat? To mock them for their naivety and stupidity?

"I'm too good, aren't I?" He posed a rhetorical question, the smug smile remaining. "I'd nearly boarded my flight, but I couldn't do it. For the first time, it was no fun."

Kagome gave him a quizzical look.

"I conned girls because I thought it was a game that I could win. I never really stopped to think that along with the cash what else the girls lost. Now that I know, the game is no fun. This time, even though I've won, I've lost." He got up from the step and grabbed the duffle bag that Sango had taken with her to the docks only a day earlier.

"Your money," he said, handing it to Kagome. "It's all in there." Shima unzipped the bag, looking at its contents in astonishment. Stacks of ten thousand yen notes were bound together with rubber bands. _It's like a 50 Cent video, _she thought as she picked up a brick of cash.

"You've straightened this scoundrel out. I can't do con jobs anymore, and I know nothing else. I guess now I'll have to learn honest work."

The three women offered him a funny look. "What will you do now?" Kagome asked him. "You don't exactly seem like the type to live by the sweat of your brow."

"I'm sure I can find a job at a host club or something. Look, I'm not very good at apologising, so..." He turned to walk away, before stopping mid-step. "And one more thing? If you ever see Sango again, tell her my proposal was real. I really _did_ fall in love with her...but she turned out to be a real player, so hats off to her as well."

* * *

"Anthony Tien," Shima said out of nowhere with a laugh as the three women sat on a bench in the terminal at the airport. "Where does he get these ridiculous names?" Kagome turned her head and smiled.

"He doesn't know how much Sango loves him, does he?" she mused.

Koharu shook her head. "No, only we know." She exchanged a knowing glance with Kagome, whose lips formed an O.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kagome asked, a plan forming in her head. "We should try and bring them together when we get back to Tokyo."

"And why would we do anything to help _him_?" Shima looked puzzled. "He _did _try to make a run with our money, if I remember correctly."

"We're not doing it for him. We're doing it for Sango."

* * *

_**A/N: Short chapter, I know...I'm sorry. The epilogue will definitely be longer! And it'll be up soon.**_


	10. Epilogue

**Better Than Revenge**

**Epilogue**

_"When this life tries to keep us apart,_

_You keep calling me back to your heart."_

**Natasha Bedingfield ft. Sean Kingston - Love Like This**

* * *

"Are you sure we're in the right place, Kagome? This looks more like a red-light district than an ideal place for a host club." Koharu held her handbag a little tighter. "I don't like the way that man over there is looking at us."

"There's nothing to worry about here. I've been going to concerts in this area my whole life," Kagome assured her. "There are a ton of clubs here. Keep your eyes open for Luxe. I'm pretty sure that's the one we want."

"Why are you so certain he'll be working there? There are over two hundred host clubs in Tokyo, after all."

"I did my homework, and it's the most expensive host club in the city. By that logic, you can almost be certain that it's the first place he applied," Kagome said confidently. "And even it it isn't, there's got to be twenty clubs on this street, anyway. We'll try them all. Look here it is!"

A white-gloved doorman held open the door for them, and the girls stepped through the door into a grand foyer designed in the Rococo style.

"It's a lot nicer on the inside," Shima commented. "It's a bit gaudy, but in a good way. Like that Marie Antoinette movie...with Kirsten Dunst."

"Good evening, mesdames," a ginger host in a crisp white dress shirt and emerald cufflinks greeted them. "Here's a menu of our hosts and services," he said as he handed them each a leather-bound menu. "I'm Hiro, by the way, if you're interested." He flipped a few pages into the menu until he got to his headshot, tastefully executed in black and white. "I'll give you a few minutes to make your decision."

Koharu flipped the page, stopping on a blond, babyfaced host holding a rugby ball. "He's cute! _Jamie, nineteen, from Glasgow._ Let's go with him. He's probably got the sweetest accent ever," she begged Kagome.

"You can converse with Braveheart later. Keep looking," Kagome said firmly as she thumbed through the menu.

"Guys! I found him!" Shima cried. "On the fifth page!"

The photo was taken in sepia, and the host in question was definitely the man they were after. "_Miroku, twenty-five, from Okinawa Prefecture,_" Kagome read. "Fifty thousand yen for one hour of conversation?! Are they kidding?! Two hundred thousand for a date?!"

"We want him," Koharu told the red-haired host and Kagome shot her an indignant look. "I'll pay. Don't worry."

"He's new, you know. You're wasting your money," Hiro warned as he led them through two sets of French doors and into a room with ornate gold wallpaper. "You'd be better off with an old pro like me," he chided as he left the room, pulling the door behind him.

The dark-haired man seated on the crimson-coloured chaise longue turned to face his guests. "Good evening, ladies. Might I say you're looking ravishing this even—oh shit! It's you three! I gave you back your money. What do you want with me now?!"

Kagome took a seat next to him, not breaking eye contact. "We're not here to do anything to you," she spoke calmly, trying to put him at ease. "We just wanted to talk to you about Sango."

For a brief moment, his violet eyes lit up. "What of her? Did something happen to her?" he asked with genuine concern.

"No. Not to my knowledge, anyway. I know she's working the Tokyo Gaming Expo this weekend, though. I saw it on her agency's website."

"Oh...You came here to tell me that?" He tried to hide his disappointment as he reached into the china cabinet behind the chaise and retrieved four crystal tumblers. "You girls like gin?" he asked, producing a bottle of Tanqueray and pouring some into each glass. Kagome cringed. Straight gin didn't seem very appealing to her.

"You can do whatever you want with that information," she coaxed as she brought the tumbler to her lips, before placing it back on the table without so much as a taste.

"Sango doesn't want anything to do with a guy like me, Kagome. It took me a while to realise that, but it's for the better that I leave her alone. Let's not kid ourselves here."

"That's not true! She's crazy about you! Maybe a little hurt by your actions, but if she felt nothing for you, she wouldn't be so upset. She said so herself that she was in love with you."

"Even still, she's better off without me. Sango deserves a man that she knows she can trust. I'm not that guy."

"Shouldn't you let her decide that for herself? Anyway, we'll leave it up to you." Kagome turned around and followed the other two girls out the door.

"Wait! You paid for an hour!" Miroku called after them.

"You can use the rest of that time to drink yourself into oblivion," Kagome responded icily.

* * *

"Koharu, where have you been?" Mr. Umeda asked as his only child slipped off her slingbacks and set her luggage down on the floor. "Your mother and I have been worried sick!"

She'd almost forgotten that she'd been away for three weeks and how her parents might react upon seeing her. They'd had nobody to dote on but her mother's two Pomeranians, Daisy and Dot, for nearly a month.

"We almost filed a missing person report, sweetheart," Mrs. Umeda added as she stepped into the foyer. "And then we saw the credit card bill and we knew you were okay." Koharu laughed. It was so good to be home.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you about that Naoki boy and the money," Mr. Umeda apologised. "I didn't know that it would cause you to run away."

"I didn't run away, Daddy." Koharu reached into her Marc Jacobs satchel and pulled out a few stacks of yen. "I was retrieving this."

Her father looked at her in amazement. "But how, princess?" he asked, astonished.

"Well, let's just say Naoki did it out of love and leave it at that,"Koharu replied vaguely.

* * *

Shima stepped through the front door of the small terrace house she shared with her parents. Her mother sat in the dinette, a cup of steaming tea before her on the small card table as she flipped through the morning paper.

"Where were you? You've missed three prospective grooms already, and you're going to be late to meet the fourth." Before Shima could answer, her mother gave her a stern look. "You know we're counting on you and your bride price. Without that money, we'll get evicted. We're already three months behind on our rent payments."

Shima set her backpack on the table and unzipped it, fumbling through the candy wrappers and folded up t-shirts until she pulled out a fat wad of cash.

"I think this should cover it," she said, dropping the stack of bills on top of her mother's newspaper. "And by the way, your marriage candidates are repulsive, and their net worth won't change that," she added as she headed up the narrow staircase into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Kagome caught the redeye back to Ishigaki. She had been so focused on her mission for revenge that she'd never taken the time to enjoy the resort. This time she wouldn't be staying at a posh beachfront villa, but she'd have Inuyasha by her side, and that almost made up for it.

She rapped on the door of his suite, and he answered almost immediately, as if he'd been expecting her.

"Hi," she said as she leaned against the doorframe. "Can I come in? Did I come at a bad time?"

"See for yourself," the hanyou replied. It was his way of inviting her in. She did as she was told.

An intimidating-looking man dressed impeccably in an expensive white suit sat on the couch. He had long silver-white hair and a perfectly sculpted face, beautiful being a more accurate description than handsome.

"Sesshomaru...I mean Mr. Taisho. H-how do you do?" she asked nervously. She sat down on the bed and Inuyasha sat next to her.

"Miss Higurashi. We were just talking about you." Kagome froze. What had they said? "My _half_-brother has expressed a desire to hire you back."

Inuyasha nodded and Sesshomaru continued. "Normally after making such a mistake, that wouldn't even be a consideration, but he insisted. Do you wish to return to your former job?" Kagome didn't even have to consider it. She nodded vigorously.

"Do you want to return to your former _life_?" It was Inuyasha who posed the question this time.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"I broke up with Kikyo today on FaceTime," the hanyou replied. Kagome still didn't know what he was getting at. "Look, what I'm trying to say is me...you...together..." He choked on his words.

Inuyasha didn't have to finish his sentence. "Of course!" exclaimed Kagome. "I kind of assumed we already were."

* * *

Sango's feet were killing her. She'd been standing in the thigh-high, six-inch heeled patent leather boots for five hours now, working as a booth babe for the soon-to-be-released MMORPG _The Last Shogunate_.

"Are there hookers in the game?" the acne-scarred teenage boy standing before her asked. "Like in GTA V?" His eyes worked their way up from her leather-clad toes to the short hemline of her red furisode, her black and gold obi tied in the front. All the models working the booth had been dressed as 17th century courtesans, but significantly tarted up in short kimonos and stripper footwear to appeal to the game's target demographic.

"I don't think they referred to them as 'hookers' back then." Sango shifted her weight awkwardly, trying to ignore the fact that the boy was undressing her with his eyes. "But here's a coupon for a free shirt and figurine when you preorder, and the demo's over there. Thank you for stopping by," she said as politely as she could manage, redirecting him to a MacBook Pro with the game installed on it. _"Fuck off, jerk-off"_ and _"stop looking at my tits, you twat"_ wouldn't exactly go over well with her employer, so the demo of the game itself was her only weapon against the horny teenage boys.

"Sango!" She turned around at the sound of her name. "Sango Tsukamoto!" A dark-haired man approached her, holding a bouquet of lilies. He had violet eyes, his ears were pierced with three gold rings, and he sported a linen suit, sans tie. Sango smiled before realising that he should be the _last_ person she should want to see.

"Unfortunately, I think you have the wrong Sango," she said with a sad smile, turning away. "I'm Sango Sakurai. Promotional model. I make eight hundred and fifty yen an hour doing...this. I'm sure I'll be of no use to you. But here's a coupon for a free t-shirt and figurine when you preorder. You have a nice day, sir."

"Don't you want to know why I came back?"

Sango turned around to face him. "Not really," she said, the smile fading from her lips. "I'm twenty-three years old. I have a lot to achieve, a lot to earn. I went off track once and lost out, but now I won't make a mistake. I want to mint money."

"Not a good plan! I've been there, done that. It's no fun making money on your own. Let's be partners. Same deal, sixty yours, forty mine. No lies, no cheating. My brains, your courage. World's best partnership."

She offered him a smile, but a smile of anger and passive-aggression. "You've conned thirty-one girls, right? Well, I don't want to be the thirty-second. I don't want to have to be constantly seeking the truth in your lies." She turned away.

"I was telling the truth then and I'm telling the truth now. _You_ were lying then and you're lying now." He stepped in front of her. "You might feign anger, but your eyes say that you are happy to see me here." She cast her eyes down as he continued. "That's why we were made for each other. We won't be able to lie to each other, because we'll be caught out."

Sango bit her lip. "If you're so in love with my lies, then why did you leave me?"

"It was my last con. How could I have lost?" He flashed her a dazzling smile, before taking her face in his hands. "Sango Sakurai, I love you." Violet eyes locked with chocolate brown. "Marry me." _  
_

"Straight to marriage already? Don't you want to test me as a girlfriend or something?" she asked, baffled. _Is he insane?_ she wondered.

"You're forgetting I've spent the past six years of my life as a conman. I look into _everything_ before attacking." She smiled, and he pulled her closer, leaning in and planting a kiss on her petal-pink lips.

"Wait a minute." She broke away from the embrace abruptly. "First you have to tell me your real name."

"Machida. Miroku Machida." He ran his fingers through her long brown hair and looked her in the eye. "Well?"

"_Sango Machida_...that'll definitely take some getting used to." She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips to his. A soft kiss that lingered and slightly tasted of watermelon Jolly Ranchers and cherry Starburst—the only two things that had gotten her through her workday up until now. He pressed her closer, his hand making its way down her lower back to that perfect bottom that he'd longed to touch for so long. And for once she didn't mind.

* * *

_**A/N: Yay! Happy endings all around! Thank you, everyone, for reading. And to the following people for favouriting/following: **_**miceaholic, naku12, tinemelk, AmeliaBlake, KagomexInuyasha321,**_** and **_**Kilalalover14**_**. I had a great time writing this, and I credit this fanfiction with actually getting me back into writing fanfics again. I hadn't written one in four years and I couldn't remember how fun it was! **_

_**On the off chance that you actually**_** did**_** enjoy my writing, I've had plot bunnies like mad running through my head these past few months, and I intend to write another MirSan fic. And an InuKag and an InuMir fic...And I'm planning on starting to write in the Hunger Games, Hetalia, and Legend of Zelda fandoms. If any of this interests you, feel free to follow me, and I'll follow back.**_

_**Anyway, it's been real. It's been fun. It's been real fun. Until next time!**_

cheerbabeexoxo


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